International

Does a photo published on social media show Palestinian children killed during the Israel-Hamas conflict that began on October 7, 2023? No, that's not true: While the image does depict children who lost their lives in the Middle East, it actually dates back to 2013 and was taken during the civil war in Syria. The person making the claim later…

Does a video on social media capture a brand-new Israeli defense system in action during the October 2023 Hamas-Israel conflict? No, that's not true: At the time, Iron Beam was not known for being employed by the Israeli forces. The video on social media presented a cropped version of an Arma-3 game simulation. The claim appeared in a post (archived…

Is there no visual evidence to prove there was a coordinated attack by Hamas militants that killed hundreds of people at the Supernova music festival? No, that's not true: The violent attack at the Supernova Festival is not a conspiracy or lie told by a few propagandists. There were thousands of eye-witnesses who were there at the festival and hundreds…

Does a video on social media show people climbing a wall at the Lebanon-Israel border in October 2023 in response to the Hamas-Israel conflict? No, that's not true: The footage is from a 2021 protest against Israeli raids on the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip. Videos from that time showed footage similar to what is seen in this video, and news outlets…

Does a well-known video of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, now on social media, show an inflatable prop rather than a real military plane? No, that's not true: There's no credible evidence to suggest that the scores of people in the clip were running alongside and hanging onto a blow-up version of the massive cargo jet. Additionally, in…

Does a video of a girl being beaten and burned alive depict a woman captured at the site of the October 2023 Israeli music festival massacre, where Hamas gunmen killed more than 260 people? No, that's not true: The video predates the attack by 8 years and was taken 7,500 miles away, in Guatemala. The footage shows a 16-year-old girl,…

Did the Sphere in Las Vegas project an image of the flag of Israel on its massive dome to show support for that nation amid the Hamas-Israel conflict in October 2023? No, that's not true: The Sphere Entertainment Co. issued a public statement refuting this claim, saying, "the image was photoshopped." The company did not issue any statements related to…

Did a viral video capture a "Hamas paraglider" falling on electric transmission lines during the Hamas attack on Israel that started on October 7, 2023? No, that's not true: The footage began circulating on social media months before that in a different country. It showed a deadly incident in South Korea in June 2023. The claim appeared in a post…

Does this video filmed near the base of a pyramid show a flyover of Air Force One -- the U.S. president's aircraft -- over Egypt following Israel's declaration of war against Hamas in October 2023? No, that's not true: This is not Air Force One but a refueling tanker -- a KC-10 Extender. This formation, including jets from Egypt, Pakistan…

Does a video show planes that belong to the U.S. military carrying heavy equipment to Israel amid the 2023 Hamas-Israel conflict? No, that's not true: The video on X used in the claim uses a clip that predates the conflict. The U.S. sent military equipment to Israel after the beginning of the conflict but that's not in the video. The…

Does a video being shared on social media show a Hamas military wing spokesperson thanking Iran for its support in October 2023, following the militant group's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023? No, that's not true: The video does show Abu Obaidah, a representative for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian militant group Hamas,…

Did Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announce the abolition of "all rules of war," following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023? No, that's not true: There is no evidence or reporting to suggest Gallant said this. A quote attributed to Russian state-owned news agency Sputnik, purportedly backing the assertion, does not appear on the agency's website. The…

Does a video show several "high-profile Israel i generals" captured by Hamas fighters? No, that's not true: The men in the video are politicians who were arrested in Azerbaijan, as the country's state news agency reported. Video of their arrest was posted on Azerbaijan's state security social media account on October 5, 2023. They are not Israeli citizens and were…

Were the "mass graves of thousands of children killed ... in illegal experiments" by Dr. Anthony Fauci found in New York City? No, that's not true: The police department for the county where the mass graves supposedly rest says there are no such graves. Additionally, a picture used in the article making the claim to illustrate a purported mass grave…

Did the U.S. urge its citizens to leave Lebanon and urgently evacuate its embassy in Beirut? No, that's not true: The U.S. Embassy in Beirut has issued a statement saying it is open and operating normally. Since July 13, 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs has instructs U.S. citizens to reconsider travel to Lebanon. Additional advisories are to avoid…

Did an off-camera director coach the CNN team on what to do while they were reporting from Israel near the Gaza border during an airstrike? No, that's not true: The team was in communication with the studio while filming, but they were not receiving theatrical directions. A satirical audio track was added to the CNN footage by the social commentary…

Does a video show Americans marching in solidarity with Palestinians in Chicago to protest against the Hamas-Israel conflict in October 2023? No, that's not true: The footage is from a May 2021 protest in Chicago about the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. It is not a video of marchers displaying support for Palestinians after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7,…

Does a video shared to social media in October 2023 show "white Phosphorus bombs" dropped on Gaza? No, that's not true: The video was shot in Ukraine and was posted to social media in March 2023, which predates the October 7, 2023, start of the Hamas-Israel conflict. The original clip showed an alleged attack made by Russian forces on the…

Did the BBC produce a video stating that Bellingcat proved Ukraine was selling NATO weapons to Hamas in the months leading up to the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel? No, that's not true: The BBC website does not contain such reporting, and investigative journalism group Bellingcat did not publish the purported investigation either. Both organizations publicly refuted the claim.…

Did Israel Defense Forces evacuate air bases near Gaza on October 7, 2023? No, that's not true: A video used to support the claim predates the 2023 Hamas-Israel conflict. Neither the Israeli government nor credible news reports have substantiated the claim. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X, formerly known as Twitter, on October 7, 2023. The…